This week, I added a box in the shape of a dragon’s head to celebrate Lunar New year. I quickly cut the box to look like a dragon with a wide pointed-tooth grin. The girls collected some found objects to make the dragon’s eyes, nostrils, and teeth. Then we all took turns collaging bright colored tissue paper all over the head in layers upon layers. Once completed, the dragon would be hung right outside their classrooms to celebrate Lunar New Year.
Category: STEAM
3rd Grade Makers: Creating in the Wonder Studio
It’s January, and it’s finally time for the 3rd graders to have time in the Wonder Studio during recess. They are beyond excited. I look out onto a sea of eager faces, and they are literally bouncing with energy. I gather them on the porch before we venture inside.
Embracing the Process
The process is the learning, and they are totally engaged and in the flow of creating. The key is to embrace the process.
The Work Around
I think of it and call it “The Work Around.” And I teach this to children. No matter what problem you face, what obstacle you encounter, there is ALWAYS a work around. There is always some way you can solve a problem and improve your situation. You just have to keep curious and be willing to play with your stumbling block. Toss it around a bit, roll it down the hill, bounce it into the bushes. Don’t be afraid. Create something new.
Time to Play
For the last three weeks, the girls have been thoroughly engaged in the process of creating. They set goals, planned, organized materials, worked collaboratively, monitored their own progress and adjusted their plans to complete their projects. I saw their independence and self-confidence blossom. They were play engineers. They were in charge of their learning.
Simple Gifts: Balloons, Fox Traps, and Marvelous Medicine
At this time of Thanksgiving, I want to pause and reflect upon the simple gifts for which I am grateful. When I think back, I realize that my grateful moments revolve around books and children. For the last forty-two years, I have been so fortunate to build my life around serving children and celebrating stories.
Magic & Imagination in a Box
Magic & Imagination in a Box - A few weeks ago, one of my colleagues showed me the great gallery of objects her 4th grade students had created. I decided the 4th graders each needed a box of objects with which to create - fidgetneering boxes.
Most Likely to Create
Humans are social animals and as such we seek community. We yearn for communication and understanding. We want to be seen and most definitely heard. There are all kinds of communities to which I have belonged. I have been part of a community of quilters, dancers, painters, teachers, cooks, readers, martial artists, and writers. As part of those communities, I was able to build strong bonds with others who shared similar interests and passions.
Getting Wild in the Wonder Lab
I don’t think I have a very wild life, but I do have a wild mind. A few years ago, I was fortunate enough to be allowed to create a hands-on maker space in my school called the Wonder Lab. It is a place where elementary students come to work on independent projects and … Continue reading Getting Wild in the Wonder Lab
Word Dancer: Literature, the Arts, & Education 